MALBA visit and unexpected bus tour

(Katherine) Today marked the earliest we have ever risen, as we had appointment with the Brazilian consulate at 10am to get my visa for entry into Brazil. They do NOT make it easy for Americans. Once at the office, I had to get on a computer and complete a huge form, then talk to someone at a window where I had to present flight information to prove my trip, bank statements (luckily I had a credit card statement) and all of our current local contact information. I also had to give them a passport photo, which luckily I had already taken in SF in case I lost my passport on the trip. Then, they took my passport, gave me a slip of paper, and sent me down to a bank four blocks away where I had to pay $589.25 pesos (about $147.) However, Robert doesn't have to worry about any of this run-around because he has a British passport (his father was born in England.) Robert didn't have to pay the $131 to enter Argentina either.  Hmmmm, they certainly don't make it easy for us Americans, but then again, I guess we don't make it easy for foreign tourists either!


After the visa fiasco we went back to our friend Esteban to discuss decisions for our Mendoza & Iguassu Falls trips. We made the executive decision to book the airline tickets to & from Iguassu, but to hold on Mendoza because it is supposed to rain all week this week. If it looks like next week will be sunny, we will book the trip later this week. Luckily Esteban is only a few blocks away so it is easy to drop in and visit him!

We then decided to brave the rain and take a bus to the MALBA, which is a modern art museum. It's actually a very small museum, but it had a particularly great photography exhibit by Robert Mapplethorpe, a controversial artist from NY who's work spans the 70's and 80's (he passed away in 1989 at the age of 42.) It was a fascinating collection of celebrity portraits, flowers, and the human figure. We weren't supposed to take photos, but I snapped this image of Andy Warhol. We finished the exhibits and sat down at a cafe for a bite. We noticed exorbitant prices and started scaling back our plan for ordering when the fire alarm went of – saved by the bell!

We exited the cafe and went back to the bus stop to pick up the 67 line. It seemed logical that if we got on a bus line, eventually it would have to take up to the place where we picked it up. However, we didn't realize how LONG the bus line was going to be – we literally went all the way to the end, and had to get back on another bus to keep going. We weren't even on the map anymore, so I have no idea where we ended up today! This could have been a scary predicament, but everyone on the bus seemed fine, and one gentleman even tried to help me understand where we were on my map once we finally started heading back into the city a bit further. Let's just say that we might be doing a little more research before we get back on any buses. Oh well – it was pouring rain anyway, and we got a tour of the city for $5.90 pesos!

We are now enjoying an evening at home and gearing up for a meal out around 9:30, which is still early for many restaurants. I swear, this place could turn us into vampires if we're not careful – and how fitting since True Blood is just coming back on the air!